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Grace Is Not Offered But Given

”That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.” | Ephesians 1: 10-12

Anytime a preacher presents the grace of God as an offer on God’s part to anybody who is willing to receive it, he has not preached grace as the Bible does.

The Bible does not say, “But God, who is rich in mercy for His great love where with He loved us, even when we were dead in sins has offered us His grace”…it says God hath “quickened us together with Christ, by grace are ye saved.”

Grace is not offered; grace is given!

And when grace is given, it always saves and is always received!

We do not have a choice as to whether or not we will accept God’s offer of grace.

Grace saves!

Grace is not something we use to aid in our salvation – Grace saves us!

~ Pastor Todd Nibert

Click here to listen to the message “What Is Meant By The Grace Of God?”

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Visit our primary website at www.ksgctn.org for more information about Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church, watch our livestream (when available) and access our previously recorded messages.

Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church Bulletin Article date: 8 December, 2019 | Previous post date: n/a

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Out Of The Heart Are The Issues Of Life

”Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” | Proverbs 4: 23

Life begins when the heart starts beating. Life ends when the heart stops.

So it is with spiritual life.

“A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.” (Ezekiel 36: 26) Spiritual (eternal) life begins when God takes away the stony heart, the heart that is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, and gives “a new heart”. There is no life without heart.

The heart is the real man.

The heart is the seat of affections, convictions, desires and feelings. Real faith comes from the heart, for “With the HEART man believeth unto righteousness.” Real faith is not simply mental but is a heart love. There can be a pretended faith, a mere spoken faith, a mere intellectual belief in facts and doctrines without real heart love for God, Christ, the brethren and holiness. Doctrine only in the head will produce an unfeeling, unloving, uncaring and unemotional man. The love of God shed abroad in the heart will produce a man of many emotions. Love for God, Christ, the Truth, holiness, the brethren; is rooted and comes from the heart.

There is no life without heart.

There is no faith without heart.

Faith is founded on the Word of God and that faith has feelings.

Though we are not saved by feelings, yet no one is saved who does not have them. Feelings come from the heart. Feelings are the reaction of the heart being touched by the Word, the Spirit of God. Show me a man who does not feel his sinfulness, who does not feel a need for Christ, who does not feel joyful upon hearing the gospel, who does not feel deeply thankful and grateful for all his blessings, who does not feel sadness, pain, joy, happiness, gladness, relief, fear and all other emotions at some time upon hearing the gospel . . . the Word of Life . . and I will show you a man WHO HATH NOT LIFE.

Show me someone who never mourns, weeps nor laughs upon hearing the life giving sound, and I will show you someone who is dead. Open up a grave; laugh, cry, shout at the man and you will get no reaction. The man is dead; he has no feelings.

Laugh, cry and shout to the living and they will respond. Show me a woman who is neither cold nor hot upon hearing the gospel, and I will show you a woman whom God will spue out of His mouth. Show me a person who does not reveal a heartfelt love, a first love for Christ, His gospel, His people, and I will show you someone who loves the world and has missed Christ.

Show me a man who claims to preach the gospel, who does not go forth with weeping, bearing the precious seed, and I will show you a man who is a hireling, a pretender, who will bring in no sheaves. “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.” (Psalm 126: 5-6)

Though we should not look to these feelings, trust these feelings, or seek assurance from them, (for they come and go) yet there is joy and assurance to be had, when the Word of Life is indeed a SAVOUR OF LIFE to us — “But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.” (Galatians 6: 4)

Savour is taste.

Savour is smell.

Savour is enjoyment.

And when the Spirit bears witness with our spirit, He makes the Word very savoury to us. He makes Christ very savoury to us, He makes the tabernacle (His church) very amiable to us, He makes the brethren to be loved by us.

Whenever the Holy Spirit was present in the early church there was fire, fear, repentance, faith, feelings of conviction, love, joy, peace, and so much more. (Acts 2) He is called Spirit for that is what He is and that is the realm he operates in.

The heart is the spirit of a man.

When the Spirit of God moves on someone, they are moved! “By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.” (Hebrews 11: 7)

When God gives life to a dead man, he is alive unto God and a new man!

When God saves someone, it is a glorious and obvious thing! A new (like natural) birth… crying, laughing, living, new born babe in Christ… a miracle of God’s grace and power; a wonderful thing; an obvious thing; an inward and outward work of God to the praise of His glory.

~ Pastor Paul Mahan

Click here to listen to the message “Marks of a Believer”

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Visit our primary website at www.ksgctn.org for more information about Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church, watch our livestream (when available) and access our previously recorded messages.

Central Grace Church Bulletin Article date: 20 March, 2022 | Previous post date: n/a | Rocky Mount, Virginia

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I Shall Be Satisfied

“Whatsoever the LORD pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places. He causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings for the rain; he bringeth the wind out of his treasuries. | Psalm 135: 6-7

Those who have been saved are those who are “being saved.”

“For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1: 18)

“Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” (Philippians 2: 12-13)

Those who have learned of Christ are those who “are learning” of Him.

“It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.” (John 6: 45)

“Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” (Matthew 11: 29)

Those who know the Lord are those who “desire to know Him.”

“But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;” (Philippians 3: 7-10)

Those who have seen the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ are those who continue to cry, “Lord, I beseech Thee, show me Thy glory.” (Exodus 33: 18)

These are the people who by the grace of God can say, “As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness” (Psalm 17: 15)

~ Pastor Maurice Montgomery

Click here to listen to the message “Let God?”

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Visit our primary website at www.ksgctn.org for more information about Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church, watch our livestream (when available) and access our previously recorded messages.

Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church Bulletin Article date: 24 May, 2020 | Previous post date: 14 April, 2021

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Let Us Not Be Discouraged!

”God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah. There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.” | Psalm 46: 1-5

We preach the gospel of God’s sovereign, free grace in Christ Jesus the Lord; that salvation is in Christ alone, by grace alone, through faith alone, according to the word alone.

For the most part, the message is rejected, but do not be discouraged, it has ever been so!

Elijah thought he was the only one left who believed God; Isaiah wrote, “Who hath believed our report and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?”

When the Lord Himself preached in His hometown of Nazareth, the people marveled at His gracious words when He spoke of the blessings, but when He spoke of sovereign mercy, they tried to kill Him!

The Apostle Paul was accused of being a pestilent fellow, a mover of sedition, the ringleader of a sect and was imprisoned for preaching the gospel. But remember, it is written; “the word of God is not bound,” “my word shall not fail” and “this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.”

~ Pastor Charles Pennington

Click here to listen to the message “It Shall Be Well With The Righteous”

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Visit our primary website at www.ksgctn.org for more information about Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church, watch our livestream (when available) and access our previously recorded messages.

Zebulon Grace Church Bulletin Article date: 9 December, 2007 | Previous post date: n/a | Pikeville, Kentucky

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Consider The Lord Jesus Christ

”Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.” | Matthew 6: 26-29

Our understanding of what is right and good depends too often on our natural and, most of the time, sinful impulses.

Does He not know, even better than we, our true and real needs?

Surely our God will meet them in a way most profitable for us.

~ Pastor Scott Richardson

Click here to listen to the message “Consider”

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Visit our primary website at www.ksgctn.org for more information about Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church, watch our livestream (when available) and access our previously recorded messages.

Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church Bulletin Article date: 14 November, 2021 | Previous post date: n/a

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Out Of The Mouth Of Babes

”From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment” | Isaiah 1: 6

One of our small children told me recently, “We are sin. That is the bad news. The good news is Christ.”

I thought how simple the gospel really is.

We are sin. How sinful are we?

Completely.

It’s not just that we commit sin but we ARE sin.

Sin is what we do and sin is what we love because sin is what we ARE.

How then is Christ the good news? Christ alone is everything a sinner needs. Christ saves sinners.

How completely does Christ save?

Christ saves the chief of sinners; “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.” (1 Timothy 1: 15)

Christ saves to the uttermost; “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” (Hebrews 7: 25)

Christ saves those who do not deserve it by His grace; “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:” (Ephesians 2: 8)

Christ sovereignly saves whom He will and no one can stop His will. “For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.” (Romans 9: 15-16)

Christ saves fully, eternally, and completely.

What good news for sinners!

~ Pastor Frank Tate

Click here to listen to the message “The Gospel of Substitution”

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Visit our primary website at www.ksgctn.org for more information about Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church, watch our livestream (when available) and access our previously recorded messages.

Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church Bulletin Article date: 8 December, 2019 | Previous post date: n/a

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All The Counsel Of God

”And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more. Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.” | Acts 20: 25-28

Paul said to the Ephesian Elders, “I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.” By that he did not mean that every time he preached, he attempted to cover all the various doctrines of the Gospel. He meant that he never held anything back.

In a courtroom, the witness is required “to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.” This is necessary because we can tell a lie by means of telling only half the truth! This is an attempt at deception while technically telling the truth. But you know as well as I do that only half the truth is a lie!

How many preachers in our day say many good and true things, yet they only tell half the story?

It is called perjury in our court systems.

In the great court of heaven it is treason!

~ Pastor Todd Nibert

Click here to listen to the message “What Is Gospel Preaching”

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Visit our primary website at www.ksgctn.org for more information about Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church, watch our livestream (when available) and access our previously recorded messages.

FreeGraceRadio.com Bulletin Article date: 8 June, 2007 | Previous post date: n/a | Danville, Kentuky

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Marks Of The True Believer

”No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” | Matthew 6: 24

The orders of the two masters are diametrically opposed.

The one commands you to walk by faith, the other by sight; the one to be humble, the other to be proud; the one to set your affection on things above, the other to set it on the things on the earth; the one to look at things unseen and eternal, the other to look at the things seen and temporal; the one to have your conversation in Heaven, the other to cleave to the dust; the one to be careful for nothing, the other to be full of anxiety; the one to be content with such things as ye have, the other to enlarge your desires as hell; the one to be ready to distribute, the other to withhold for self; the one to look on things of others, the other to look out for one’s own things; the one to seek happiness in the Creator, the other to seek happiness in the creature.

Is it not plain that there is no serving two such masters?

“If ye love the one, ye must hate the other; if ye cleave to the one, you must despise the other.” You cannot serve God and mammon!

To serve mammon, to lay up treasures on earth, is to make present, sensible, worldly things, the great subjects of our thoughts, the great object of our affection.

To serve God, to lay up treasures in Heaven, is just to make the things divine and heavenly the great subjects of our thoughts, and the great objects of our affection.

The two things are obviously incompatible.

Scripture says the covetous man is an idolater.

The friendship of the world is enmity with God; and, whosoever will be a friend of the world, must be an enemy of God.

~ William Jay

Click here to listen to the message “Marks Of The True Believer”

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Visit our primary website at www.ksgctn.org for more information about Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church, watch our livestream (when available) and access our previously recorded messages.

Central Grace Church Bulletin Article date: 20 March, 2022 | Previous post date: n/a | Rocky Mount, Virginia

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Rest In Christ

”After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a spunge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth. When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.” | John 19: 28-30

“It Is Finished”

Every time I consider this passage, my mind focuses first on the word “IT.”

All that God required concerning the redemption of God’s sheep… all that the law demanded for justice and judgment against His people… every type and shadow of Christ in the Old Testament is included in “IT.”

And though this frail creature fails to grasp the fullness of “IT”, all was completed!

Everything God eternally willed, purposed, decreed, and ordained was FINISHED by Christ’s one sacrifice for sin. And the marvel of this blessed truth is summed up with the word “IS.”

That which He has done, He has done forever!

What a declaration of peace for a needy sinner from the mouth of the glorious Lamb of God.

~ Pastor Marvin Stalnaker

Click here to listen to the message “Rest In Christ”

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Visit our primary website at www.ksgctn.org for more information about Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church, watch our livestream (when available) and access our previously recorded messages.

Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church Bulletin Article date: 8 December, 2019 | Previous post date: n/a

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The Only Reason For Salvation

“I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake” | 1 John 2: 12

There is only one reason revealed in Holy Scripture that any sinner would be pardoned from all sin.

That one reason is Christ alone. “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4: 32)

Christ Jesus was manifested to take away our sin and in Him is no sin. “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” (John 3: 5)

The only reason for grace is Christ. “And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.” (John 1: 16)

The only reason for mercy is Christ. “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;” (Titus 3: 5)

The only reason for salvation is Christ. “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4: 12)

The only reason for sanctification is Christ. “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:” (1 Corinthians 1: 30)

His name’s sake includes all these things and much more. “Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:” (Romans 5: 20)

“But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee. Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life. Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west; I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth; Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.” (Isaiah 43: 1-7)

Salvation is not because of our merit, nor our baptism, nor our works, nor our prayers, nor our repentance, nor our faith; but for the sake of Christ, his blood, sacrifice and satisfaction; and it reaches to all our sins, original and actual, secret and open, past, present, and future.

“Remember these, O Jacob and Israel; for thou art my servant: I have formed thee; thou art my servant: O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me. I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee. Sing, O ye heavens; for the LORD hath done it: shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein: for the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel.” (Isaiah 44: 21-23)

The only reason for our salvation is not found in us, but rather in the Lord Jesus Christ alone.

~ Pastor Tom Harding

Click here to listen to the message “Called, Chosen and Faithful”

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Visit our primary website at www.ksgctn.org for more information about Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church, watch our livestream (when available) and access our previously recorded messages.

Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church Bulletin Article date: 24 May, 2020 | Previous post date: 11 April, 2021